Rec Center, lazy river top Carroll Council action plan

- The Carroll City Council Monday adopted an ordinance that would exempt the owners of commercial property from liens related to unpaid city water and garbage bills - should tenants be responsible for those payments. The ordinance is connected to legislation that cleared the Iowa Legislature this year.

- Council members approved a bid from Schulz Painting of Carroll for $9,909 for the painting of the Recreation Center gym. Schulz submitted the lowest of four bids.

- The council appointed Richard Fulton to a term on the Carroll Airport Commission that expires on Dec. 31, 2018.

August 13, 2013

Carroll City Council members Monday night approved a five-point 2013 action plan topped with the task of improving the Recreation Center.

"This does not include what we call 'ongoing' projects," said Carroll City Manager Gerald Clausen.

The other four items on the plan are:

- Planning for a lazy river at the Carroll Family Aquatic Center.

- Grant Road/U.S. Highway 30 improvements

- Trails development on the northeast side of Carroll

- Train-horn-noise mitigation

The council is seeking bids by Oct. 1 for a plan to reduce train-horn noise. Shive-Hattery, the city's trails consultant, is updating a plan that is expected to start with staging a recreational trail in the northeast part of the city.

With regard to U.S. 30 and Grant Road, the city is working with the Iowa Department of Transportation and a consultant on funding streams aimed at making the intersection safer.

City staff is now reviewing a preliminary report on plans for a lazy river.

At the Rec Center, a number of initiatives are under way, including a new roof, addition of family changing rooms and the placement of a new gym floor. A full report on plans to improve the Rec Center is expected in October.

Several Carroll Public Library advocates attended the council meeting. They asked elected officials why development of an improved library is not on the action plan.

"It's still an important thing that's at the top of people's minds," said Mayor Adam Schweers.

Schweers said he would like to see an updated space-needs study for a library, with a "go-back-to-the-beginning" approach on an overall plan.

Library Board of Trustees president Tom Louis said it make sense to commission a study of the expansion of the current library on the east side of the Farner Government Building.

"I think that would be a good starting point," he said.

The expansion plan could be compared with alternative ideas as well, Louis said.